Rotala juniperina A.Fern.

Annual, ? or perennial herb 14–30 cm. long; stems creeping, ascending or erect, often much branched and rooting at the nodes, the submerged ones ± thick, the aerial 4-angled or ± winged.. Leaves decussate or occasionally in whorls of 3, lanceolate to ovate, largest on the main stems, 0.3–2 cm. long, 1–8 mm. wide, acute at the apex, attenuate, rounded or subcordate at the base, subsessile or very shortly petiolate.. Flowers purplish, 3-merous, solitary in the axils, distributed throughout, sessile; bracteoles 2, linear, 1.2–1.5 mm. long, ± as long as calyx.. Calyx-tube campanulate, ± 1 mm. long; lobes 3, triangular, 0.35–0.5 mm. long (± papillate in Tanzania); appendages 3, (0.4–)0.75 mm. long.. Petals 3, elliptic, ± 0.5 mm. long, ± 0.25 mm. wide, persistent.. Stamens 3 (2 in Tanzanian var.), the filaments 1 mm. long in Tanzania.. Ovary globose, 0.75–1 mm. diameter; style 0.25 (0.4 in Tanzania) mm. long.. Capsule subglobose, (1.2–)1.5 mm. long, 3-valved (the valves ± papillate in Tanzania).. Seeds whitish, 0.5 mm. long.. Fig. 15/19–22, p. 53.